Up the ranks: Loh Chuan Hui takes on role of Chief People Officer, Asia at Lendlease

In this role, she joins the Asia Leadership Team and Global People & Culture Leadership Team, and will ensure that Lendlease’s people and culture initiatives are aligned with the growth aspirations of the business.

International real estate group Lendlease has announced the appointment of Loh Chuan Hui as Asia’s new Chief People Officer, with effect from 1 January 2022.

Based in Singapore, Chuan takes over from Vicki Ng, who has taken a sabbatical leave of absence, the company shared on Wednesday (5 January). 

In her new role, Chuan joins the Asia Leadership Team and Global People & Culture Leadership Team, and will ensure that Lendlease’s people and culture strategies and initiatives are aligned with the growth aspirations of the overall business. In addition, she will continue to champion diversity and inclusion as a key pillar across Asia and contribute to the development of an agile and future-ready workforce.

Chuan has been with Lendlease since 2011 and has held several roles within the people and culture team across Asia. She has been a business partner on the people and culture front across Lendlease’s different lines of business, including holding the role of Senior Country Human Resources Lead in Malaysia from 2015 to 2017. Most recently, Chuan was the Head of Talent, Asia, and Strategic Business Partner for Lendlease Digital Singapore.

Commenting on the appointment, Justin Gabbani, Asia CEO, Lendlease, said: "I am delighted to announce the appointment of Chuan as Lendlease Asia’s Chief People Officer. Chuan has been with Lendlease for more than 10 years having led several teams across Asia. Her promotion is a reflection of our strong leadership bench strength within the Asia business and our continued focus on succession planning."

He added: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Vicki for her outstanding contribution to Lendlease in Asia over the past eight years and for cementing Lendlease’s leadership in creating the best workplaces and fostering a culture of care across Asia."

On the back of this announcement, HRO caught up with Chuan to find out more about what she looks forward to in this new role, as well as trends she foresees in the year ahead:

Q What are you most excited about in this new role?

Just like challenge and opportunity are two sides of the same coin, taking on this role at this pivotal moment is both overwhelming and exhilarating. If you look at the current state of the world, there isn't a playbook for what is to come in a year, or even in the next week with a new variant. At the same time, it is an incredibly important time for the company as we make significant progress with our growth strategy in a range of markets and sectors across Asia.

On a people and culture front, there is an opportunity for disruption, for companies big and small to innovate and think differently about attracting talent, engaging people in the journey, and shaping the future of work.

Q What are 1-2 talent/culture trends you see in the industry in 2022?

The pandemic isn't just a health pandemic, it is also a pandemic of changing structural norms in society, work, and individuals.

In an era of the 'great contemplation', the talent crunch that companies are facing is less about a shortage of talent, than a reflection of the shifting mindsets and expectations about work.

This brings along with it new challenges for organisations and leadership to attract, engage and retain teams.

As employees search for meaning and purpose in work, leaders need to be able to connect their people to the business, the company's vision, and to each other. As employees demand more human and individualised career experiences, leaders (not processes) will be at the core of making that happen. This necessitates skills for leaders and managers at a level never seen before - in particular a focus on human, empathetic and inclusive leadership.

In my time with Lendlease, I have seen how we are true to our culture of care, pushing the envelope on employee wellbeing, flexibility, sustainability, and inclusion. I am excited to see how we continue to lean into these pillars, break down constraints and build on the employee experience, in order to provide people with meaningful work, growth, and opportunities for the future.

Lead image / Provided